On mountains and prophets: targeting majorities to support minorities by using norm-critics in health education

Abstract

This debate article advocates for norm-critics instead of empowering coping and pedagogy of tolerance as an educational approach to mitigate stigmatization as well as blame and guilt for health-deviant minorities within the field of health disparities. Norm-critics is a way of making members of the (presumably healthy) normative majority uncover and question their health-related norms and raise awareness for the processes by which members of that majority re/construct images of stereotypic figures (such as “the fatso” or “the couch-potato”) with certain personal character traits which are to be condemned and, in doing so, limit the acting space of those identified as examples of those figures. The approach, its theoretical background, arguments promoting norm-critics, and some suggestions for its practical application are presented. It is concluded that norm-critics render a valuable and much needed addition to the health intervention repertoire.

Keywords

• power
• stigma
• coping
• norms
• norm-critical education
• health disparities